Learning Kazanjian Emphasizes the Role

Learning

Kazanjian emphasizes the role of religion in learning, referring to it as a filter through which students view the world. According to Kazanjian, educators largely ignore the role of religion in curriculum development or delivery, instead viewing the student body as ideologically homogenous. Not taking into account the way religion shapes worldview does a disservice to learners, according to Kazanjian, and prevents educators from reaching their full potential. Instead of being integrated into pedagogy, religion is ostracized from campus, segregated to set of social groups or organizations like the school chaplain.

Kazanjian assumes that religion is a core part of individual identity formation, equally as important as ethnicity, class, or gender. Religion, like gender or class or sexual orientation, impact issues related to socialization and group affiliation. Ignoring the role of religion in shaping student identity also denies the extent of student body diversity on campus, notes Kazanjian. Finally, Kazanjian postulates that religious identity corresponds with ethical and moral development, which have a strong but often unrecognized impact on intellectual development.

Like Kazanjian, Atleo & James point out a neglected tradition of learning that can still be incorporated into a modern secular educational system. Focusing on oral traditions and storytelling, Atleo & James note that narrative traditions provide powerful symbols like the Trickster. The Trickster and other literary symbols can stimulate learning and expand students' capacity for critical analysis and creative thinking. The Native American emphasis on symbolic learning allows learners to mediate their identity with the subject matter. Education becomes more meaningful, as issues related to social justice, moral character, and wellness are central to the learning process.

Also focusing on diversity in education, Jeria explains the importance of inclusion and avoiding marginalization of minority students. Using the example of the Hispanic population in the United States, Jeria claims that adult education has created invisible groups of students. Like Kazanjian as well as Atleo & James, Jeria emphasizes diversity awareness as a key to improving pedagogy.

However, Jeria takes diversity further by incorporating issues related to social class and access to cultural capital. Cultural imperialism has clouded the perspectives of any students not considered part of the dominant culture. Even though Hispanic students comprise a large portion of the student bodies on many campuses in the United States, Hispanic students continue to remain invisible, marginalized, and ignored. They are excluded from the historical narratives of American identity. Hispanics are also marginalized in adult education, their needs obscured by overemphasizing their cultural and linguistic deficits.